"TROLLHUNTER" — ★★★ — Otto Jespersen, Glenn Erland Tosterud, Tomas Alf Larsen, Johanna Morck, Urmila Berg-Domaas; in Norwegian with English subtitles; PG-13 (frightening scenes); Tower
"Do you think Michael Moore gave up after the first try?" asks a would-be documentarian in "Trollhunter," a witty "Blair Witch"-style mockumentary about, you guessed it, troll hunting.
Moore, of course, never faced anything quite like this: Three college students decide to investigate some strange occurrences in the Norwegian fjords and end up joining forces with a weary "poacher" named Hans (Otto Jespersen), who's an undercover troll exterminator employed by a secret government program. Like a lot of government jobs, troll hunting requires some tedious paperwork (with every kill, Hans must fill out a Slayed Troll Form) and burnout. "Fairy tales don't usually match reality," Hans grunts.
Writer/director Andre Ovredal gives it all a familiar frame: At the beginning, we're told that what we're about to see is footage dropped off at a news agency, shot by people who were never seen again. But "Trollhunter," despite its herky-jerky camera work, has much more style than the gritty "Blair Witch"; those fog-draped fjords provide a distractingly pretty backdrop to this tale of mysterious, massive creatures who roam the forest by night, searching for Christians on whom to munch. (The latter detail, the press kit tells us, is from Norwegian troll mythology; in the movie, Hans uses a recording of the song "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" to lure a troll out of hiding.)
It's all good horror-spoofy fun — right down to the Polish bear deliveryman (don't ask) and the repellent "troll stench" in which the students must coat themselves — and ends abruptly before it runs out of steam. Or troll gas. Don't ask.
"Trollhunter" is rated PG-13 for for frightening scenes); running time: 103 minutes.